Doragon no Kokoro
by Wildwolf
Summary: Prequel to Yami Ryuu, Shiro Tenshi and Akutenshi to finish up the trilogy! Seto and Bakura both lived in ancient Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Yami. Turns of small events lead to them meeting, and eventually... >short
1. Lonely Heart

**Doragon no Kokoro**

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Romance/General

Pairings: Seto/Bakura

Warnings: Shounen ai, language

Plot: Yami no Bakura had lived a dirty, hard life in ancient Egypt, even as a child, before becoming a tomb robber. What if he met a certain High priest and became friends with him?

Disclaimer: You know, Takahashi-san doesn't know me, so I won't get a birthday present from him... can you buy it offa eBay? I also own none of the songs listed here.

Notes: This is the prequel to Yami Ryuu, Shiro Tenshi and Akutenshi. It's basically how Yami no Bakura met Seto in ancient Egypt and yeah. It kinda conflicts the series info, but I had this planned out long enough ago so that I didn't know about a lot of the stuff- and I can't read kanji, so I can't tell what's going on...! @_@ Plus, I put Mokuba in here, and we all know Mokuba wasn't there in Egypt, right? Or was he? Dunno.

This started after much research... yes, research over when in the 18th Dynasty Yami no Yuugi could have ruled (yes, it was 3000 years ago and was the 18th dynasty (which was actually about 3,500 years ago...), if you don't just depend on fan-subbed subtitles and actually listen to the Japanese dialogue...). Aiya... @_@ studying timelines makes people dizzy... and this is what I plan on doing with my life?! But if you want proof on how it was not 5,000 years ago and was closer to 3,000 years ago, both series-related and historically, I'll send it to you! I have it all!

People of high bearing have long titles...

The song insert is an excerpt of Ashita Moshi Kimi ga Kowaretemo from the Yugioh season one soundtrack.

**Chapter 1-**

**Lonely Heart**

Lonely heart__

Moteamasu kokoro

POKKARI ana ga aita you da

Jibun wo osaekirezu nanika ni iraira shiteta

Lonely heart

Feelings beyond my control

It's as if a wide hole has opened

Unable to control myself, I become irritated at something

Between the reigns of two pharaohs of the 18th dynasty, there is a large gap of unrecorded history. The unrecorded time, lost grains in the illustrious sands, saw a game played with magic and monsters, where only the strongest survived.

This game was Duel Monsters.

But this particular story does not have to do with this game of Duel Monsters, rather, a renowned Duelist and his affair with an infamous tomb robber.

"Seto, why...? Why must you accept this?" He asked, voice quivering.

"Because." They High Priest in front of him answered in a calm, unwavering voice. "The Pharaoh and the four other priests have sealed away with the Sennen Items and the monsters. It is my duty."

"I don't care!" The other boy yelled, bursting out with emotions suddenly. "Just because of your rank. The Pharaoh is dead; you don't need to listen to his orders anymore!"

"But it is my duty-"

"I just don't care anymore. I never cared about your rank, because I..." He turned his head away in frustration. Letting a couple of tears only dot his eyes, he turned his back from the priest and kept his head lowered, tears threatening now to spill over.

"Bakura." Seto said in a calm voice. "I will be buried with the Sennen Items. The Pharaoh is gone, so I must be the one to protect them. The world's fate depends on me." With that, he turned and left, holding his Sennen Rod in hand and clenching it with a deadly grip.

"Seto..." Bakura whispered after the priest had left. "I don't want to you to die." _Why can't you just give up your position? I realize I'm not one to understand the laws and everything, but you never let laws stop you before. Laws forbid us to even be friends. Just disobey them once more. I never got to tell you everything about me. I never got to tell that that-_

"I love you."

"Bastard!" Bakura yelled, falling to the ground and wiping his mouth for the blood that flowed from a cut lip.

He had a group of assailants, one of which had a dagger. Blood trickled down a cut on his arm and dripped to the ground next to his foot as he stood back up, groaning.

"Pay up." The one with the dagger taunted, licking the blood from his blade.

"I've already paid my debts."

"I think not." The one with a knife threw it up in the air and caught it, toying with the blade.

Another slash to the cheek, more blood spilt. His consciousness started fading into a blurred and fuzzy image.

A sudden yell of surprise came from his opponents, but he couldn't see why. He just knew that suddenly, their taunting made no difference.

He stood firmly in front of the unconscious boy. He had knocked out one of the guys and nearly snapped the wrist of the one with a dagger, but one of them was still able. That one grabbed his partner's knife and held it close to his own body, smarter as it seems.

"Leave this boy." He stated clearly, as one with a high status would.

"Who are you to tell me what to do? Stay out of this!"

"If you do not step back, you will leave me with no choice."

"What are you gonna do?" The other taunted.

There was a streak as the hood flew off of the unknown entities head, revealing semi-tamed brown hair and shocking sapphire eyes. The streak grabbed his opponent's arm and planted a blow into his gut.

The person who had the knife groaned as he slumped over. "Who the hell are you? You fight as a demon of the god Set."

The brown-haired boy with sapphire eyes stood tall, proud with regal bearing. "I am Seto, high priest in the temple of Amun Ra, both scribe and personal friend to his Majesty, the Pharaoh Yami." He unsheathed his Sennen Rod for show.

Having dealt with the problem at hand, Seto turned and picked the unconscious boy with long white hair in his arms.

"H-hn?" Bakura groaned, opening his eyes slowly. The whole world was fuzzy.

Automatically, he felt the ambivalence of physical comfort and mental insecurity. Where was he? This was a rich place, judging from the craftsmanship, but how did he get here? Was he captured by someone? Where were those bastards who nearly killed him?

He tried to move, finding his body rather reluctant to get up from the fine linen and silk that encased him. No, he wasn't captured. No captor would waste such good materials on a prisoner, unless they were just stupid.

"Hello!" A childish face appeared above him, giving him a sudden start. "I'm Mokuba, what's your name?" The boy had large violet eyes and long black hair. He had on clothes of a wealthy person, so he was definitely not a servant. The son of the household's owner, possibly?

_I can kill him and escape, given the need._ Bakura told himself as he started to sit up, supporting himself on his elbows. As the sheets slid down, he noticed the bandages wrapped around his chest and stomach, where his assailants had kicked him and tried to carve him up a few times.

"Don't move! Seto told me to not let you move until he got here."

"Who the hell is-" He was cut off as a person entered the room. Bakura was taken aback by his features. The tall height, brown hair, built frame, and cold blue eyes...

"Seto!" Mokuba ran to him and hugged him.

"Mokuba," Seto bent down to him, "go tell his Majesty, the Pharaoh Yami that I will be with him shortly."

"Ok!" He scampered off.

"And watch your manners!" Seto called behind him, smiling at his antics.

Bakura watched with interest, inferring that the two were brothers. But they looked so different... Mokuba had black hair, tanned skin, and violet eyes while Seto was brunette, had paler skin (though still not as pale as his own), and blue eyes. But hey, stranger things had happened. After all, he had white hair as a natural born color.

"What is your name?" Seto asked Bakura, sitting next to the bed. It wasn't in an interrogative way, but in a nicer, friendlier way. It was certainly the first time a stranger- or possibly anyone- had spoken to him like that.

"Why should I tell you?" Bakura asked. One rule of being a tomb robber meant that you gave no clues, and a name was a clue.

"To show at least a little gratitude for my brother and me taking care of you and your wounds." Seto's eyebrows furrowed.

"I didn't ask you to." Bakura snapped back.

"Would you have rather me let those guys kill you?" Seto asked.

Bakura suddenly took up an interest in the architecture. "First, who are you? And why did you save me?"

"I am Seto, high priest to the temple of Amun Ra. That's the short version." That would explain the wealth. "I saved you because you looked as if you needed help. As an official, it is my duty to be sure that I stop any violence that the peoples are creating."

Bakura said nothing, just lowered his gaze to his bandaged arm. The sound of Seto standing made him look up again.

"I must go bathe and perform afternoon rituals in the temple before seeing the Pharaoh. I will be back later and do intend upon furthering this conversation. Do not attempt to leave, there are guards. And if you desire anything, just ask." He left Bakura in awe.

Bakura scratched his arm in nervousness and frustration. Want anything? Hell yeah! To leave and get out of this place. Maybe 'borrow' a couple of things while he was at it, if you use the term 'borrow' loosely.

He tipped his legs over the side of the bed and stood, looking around. He still had his dirty garments- a small skirt, unlike all those poor fools who were stuck in loincloths. He had stolen it, granted, but still.

Small, quick footsteps approached and Bakura was hardly surprised to see Mokuba running back in. "Hi! Do you need anything? I could ask someone to draw a bath or fetch some food and new clothes."

"Sure..." Bakura just blinked at the boy's utter innocence.

Fifteen minutes found Bakura on the verge of purring in warm water and various flowery-smelling soaps. Maybe rich life wasn't bad, even though he knew he shouldn't get used to it. He'd be out of here before Ra fell below the horizon of the dead tomorrow, one way or another.

He scrubbed through his hair once more and finally saw its true whiteness. Dirt and caked blood washed away with ease as his pale skin shown brightly. The only thing that seemed to remain unchanged about him were his dark bronze eyes.

Eventually, he did get out and dressed in clothes that surprisingly fit him. Just another convenience, he supposed. Walking back into what he now called his room, he say a plate of figs, fish, dates, bread, and other foods with a glass of wine with it.

"Wow." Bakura mused to himself. This was certainly different.

He sat on his bed and ate and drank until his stomach was content. Had he ever been truly content? The normal Egyptian was well enough off, able to fill their stomachs. But Bakura had always been on the run, bumming shelter and food from people, never settling down lest he was caught.

Feeling rather lazy, he laid back down with his head on the support block. Often he housed with Malik, but neither of them were rich enough to have gotten the headrests. But now he referred back to his old ways and put the block aside, deciding rather to go without the wealthy comfort and just lie content in the Egyptian linen. Yeah, he could get used to this.

Chibi: Yes, yes. A short first chapter. But originally I intended for this to be one chapter and somewhat short. It still will be a short fic compared to some others, but oh well! Hope you enjoyed reading this and keep up with the story! I tried to intertwine my limited knowledge of actual ancient Egypt, but it's hard! Such as how the only slaves were criminals or prisoners of war... and the people who built the pyramids were actually pretty well taken of, medical treatment included... gomen, I'm sore on the subjects...

Wildwolf: **goes running past** I have Kharl's watering can!

V-chan: Give me the watering can!

Kharl (Dragon Knights): Give me my watering can!

Chibi: Well, ja mina~!


	2. Koori no Knaifu o Daite

**Doragon no Kokoro**

Chapter two is now up!

This chapter's song excerpt is from Koori no Naifu o Daite, a Yu Yu Hakusho character song for Kurama. It's prettyful...

**Chapter 2-**

**Koori no Naifu o Daite**

Kokoro no hotori de anata ga yasashiku ore o yondemo

Mimi o fusaide hashiru hi mo aru

Koori no Naifu o Daite

You call gently from near my heart

I close my ears... there is also a day I run to

Embracing the Ice Knife

Bakura tinkered with all of the things in his room, wondering how much money they would fetch out in the market and how he could steal them without being noticed.

Mokuba had left to perform his own chores but said he would be back. Despite his snappish temperament, the kid still liked Bakura. That surprised him a lot, seeing as that personality tended to deflect people.

There was a game board sitting on a low table. Bakura toyed with it for a few minutes before losing interest and continuing his search for nothing. He ended up going to other rooms and looking around.

A golden chest caught his eye. Something he could steal, possibly?

He opened the chest and found a golden ring inside. It was large with a triangle and an eye in the center of it and five spiracles hanging off of it. He lifted it and ran his fingers of one hand along the ring.

"Do you like it?" A voice asked behind him.

Bakura whirled around, seeing Seto standing there. He stood in the doorframe, eyes moving from the golden trinket in his hands to make contact with Bakura's eyes.

"I can let you have it, on a couple of conditions. One, you will never sell it."

"Why not?" Bakura looked it over.

"That is connected to condition number two: you must never tell anyone about it."

"Why?"

"That is one item in a set of seven. The Sennen Items."

"Sennen Items?"

"Yes, and this Rod is another." Seto indicated the rod in his hands. "These items... they contain power. The power of each is great, and if all seven are brought together by one with a cruel heart, the world will be destroyed. But if brought together by one with pure intentions... it is rumored that they would even be able to raise the dead."

"Why are you giving it to me...?" Bakura asked, in half a whisper. "Why give me something with such great possibility of mass destruction when I could just run off with it now and never come back?"

Seto contemplated before shrugging. "I feel I can trust you. I don't know why, but I feel that you wouldn't use it to harm anyone." He said this with such confidence in himself and his words.

Bakura reddened a little. This guy was too damn trusting!

"And thank you for entertaining Mokuba. He seems to like you a lot."

"He's... a good kid, I suppose." Bakura slipped the rope that hung on the Sennen Ring around his neck. The weight felt odd, and yet so... comforting, in a sense. It felt as if the golden ring belonged around his neck. "I suppose the thing to say is... thank you."

The words felt so odd leaving his mouth and with his voice. He couldn't recall any time where he had needed to thank anyone, let alone for a gift of sorts.

"If you need anything, just ask. I have some scribe-work to do." Seto left the room with a flick of his skirt.

Bakura fiddled with the golden object in his hand. No, he wouldn't sell it. But why in the name of Osiris not? He shrugged to himself and continued his thoughts. Hm, maybe he was finally developing a sense of honor.

Or maybe it was all just a fluke.

Yes, it was all just a fluke.

Now, when did they want him to leave? May as well live in the lap of luxury while he could!

And what was up with this high priest?

The next day, and finally the little boy Mokuba would allow Bakura out of the house, saying that he had now healed. He seemed to be a very protective little kid...

Bakura walked around the marketplace, Ring around his neck and looking for Malik.

"If I was that blond idiot, where would I be...?"

Ah, or course, some part of the market, probably thinking about defacing some shrine to the Pharaoh.

"Bakura!" A voice called.

"Speak of the devil, the blond idiot now."

"Hey!" Malik ran up, breathing hard from his sprint. "Where were you yesterday?"

"Paneb and his gang jumped me." Bakura mumbled.

"And you're not dead?" Malik asked.

"No, I went unconscious cause one of the bastards had a knife and when I came to, I was in the home of the high priest."

Malik's eyes widened. "Whoa! Whoa! The high priest? As in, the rich guy who acts like he's got a stick up his ass?"

"Actually, he's not too bad." Bakura shrugged. He turned in such a way that the gold Ring glinted in the sunlight.

"Hey." Malik took it in his hands. "You steal this? Good work!"

"No." Bakura snatched it back, glaring at his friend for even thinking of selling it. "It was a gift."

"From the high priest?" Malik asked incredulously.

Bakura nodded, handling his Ring fondly.

"Hm, someone seems to have gained his favor..." Malik cocked his eyebrow and grinned.

Bakura felt himself redden slightly. "What?"

"Ya know, you could always ride the wave of luxury and let the high priest ride you a few times..." Malik grinned.

"Malik..." Bakura's fist began to shake at the blonde's humor. "I don't like Seto."

"One, it doesn't matter if you like him or not, you can still seduce him. Second, first name basis? How far have you two gone already? I knew you work fast, but damn..." His weight shifted to one leg in preparation to run.

"Malik!" Bakura started sprinting after him. They headed west to the Nile through the vegetation that came from Isis every year when the spiritual embodiment of Horus was reborn.

He stopped, searching around. "Malik, where'd you go?"

He started strolling along the banks, looking for where Malik had disappeared off to. He couldn't see him anywhere... how could the idiot have lost him?

A building came into view and Bakura slowly crept up to it. The trees grew in such a way to build a curtain around a clearing that went down to the Nile. A figure walked into view as Bakura climbed up a tree and lounged to watch.

Bakura recognized the figure as Seto. "He must be cleansing for his midday rituals." He shrugged to get comfortable. Granted if he was found out here, watching this holy ritualistic event, he would surely be killed.

Seto took off his headgear and slowly disrobed himself. No attendants accompanied him as he performed this, as no one but the high priest was supposed to be there.

Bakura's eyes traveled his body, remembering Malik's humorous- and that term is used very lightly- comments. His body was nice, lean and muscular with a face framed by hair that was now being dampened with the water of the life-giver, the Nile. Form accentuated with water, glistening in sunlight like poetry and song in motion and form.

Hm, maybe seduction was on the list of things to do sometime. But then there was the thought of Mokuba walking in... Bakura sighed, shaking his head.

Seto finished cleansing himself and slowly walked back up the banks of the Nile to retrieve his clothes. Feeling the eyes of someone on him, Seto turned towards the grove where Bakura reclined on a branch. But not seeing the boy, he dismissed it as trivial and continued onwards. Soon he was inside once again.

Bakura jumped down from his branch and started walking back into town. He replayed what he had just seen in his mind again and freeze framed it on the high priest when he had turned that way.

_Damn it Malik, you have to put such thoughts into my head? Though, I did get a show... He grinned to himself._

"Bakura!" A voice called to him.

Bakura looked to his left and down to see Mokuba.

"Come on, it's time for lunch!" Mokuba grabbed his hand and started leading him.

_When were they planning on getting rid of me?! Bakura asked, an incredulous look coming to his face but still following along._

"How's it taste?" Mokuba asked hyperly, looking at Bakura expectantly.

Bakura nodded, mouth too full to give a verbal answer.

Mokuba beamed and Seto smiled fondly at his little brother.

Bakura couldn't look at Seto the same anymore, after seeing everything he saw this afternoon. Every time he turned to him, he remembered how he looked out in the river, bathing in the pure waters.

Ra was setting outside, and the reddish light was cast upon Seto's face as he turned to Bakura. "You're welcome to stay for as long as you would like."

Bakura flushed. "Thank you." Ah, there was that word again. "But is it not illegal for people of my class to mingle with people of yours?"

"Hm, this is true..." Seto thought. "But if anyone comes over, such as the Pharaoh or any other officials, you can pretend you work here."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Now Seto paused, unable to answer. "I don't know." He answered in a half-whispered voice. "I just feel that it's the right thing to do. I can't really explain it. I-" He looked up at Bakura suddenly, "-I don't know."

Bakura saw the confusion in his eyes. He felt a heat rising to his cheeks as he watched him closely. Those eyes... they- they were so... deep. Beautiful blue melted sapphires waiting to take him in.

_What the hell am I thinking?! He snapped his head around suddenly, making Mokuba flinch. __What the hell is going on? Why am I thinking like that?_

"Are you ok?" Seto and Mokuba both asked.

Bakura paused before answering. "Yes, yes, I'm ok." It was a lie, he knew, but what was he going to say? That he was having some new feelings for this High Priest that was sitting in front of him right now?

_No, they aren't feelings. You're just confused. Idiot, just go to sleep._

He excused himself from the table and went to what was now considered his room. These people were being too nice to him, and why? Mokuba just liked him, and how that happened was a quite a paradox.

Seto... he just bowed to his brother's wishes. But, no, that wasn't it. Why was he so intent on being nice? And why did Bakura have the feeling that the answer was right in front of his eyes, but he was just all-too dense to see it for himself?

He lay down and sighed. What was happening to him? He felt like he just wanted to rip out all of his hair in frustration and scream at the stupid world for existing. Yes, he just wanted to scream at the world for its existence and for his own existence. Yes, maybe kill everything and then there would be nothing for him to be mad at.

_And here's a closer step to suicide. He thought bitterly to himself. But... life sucked and what were you going to do about it, besides live with it?_

And just think, all of this stemmed off of conflicting emotions for a certain High Priest in the next room.

By Ra, life sucked.

_Don't worry about it, just go to sleep. Go to sleep._

He closed his eyes and lay there, thinking. He couldn't sleep. No matter how many times he told himself, he wouldn't be able to sleep.

_Oh, fine! He started pressing on his arties, trying to cut off the blood to make himself fall unconscious. But when nausea started to come, he stopped and lay there._

_Why me, or why Ra, me?_

Aiya, this fic is going slow... to me, at least. I can't get into writing it~! And it's SHORT~!

Oh, and here's some advice- don't try to knock yourself out while having insomnia by cutting off blood in your neck arteries. While it may make your opponents fall unconscious, it is not fun-full to do on yourself.

Random people: Baka.


	3. Melting an Icy Heart

**Doragon no Kokoro**

This is a short fic- only four planned chapters... and the chapter length hasn't been that long either. Originally, I had planned it as a one-shot thing, but I decided that it would be a lot easier otherwise. Gomen nasai...

Excerpt song is Dark Side Stories from one of the Yu Yu Hakusho soundtracks.

Oy, this is so conflicting with the actual storyline of Ancient Egypt... T_T **starts bashing herself badly for messing it up**

SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING~! For those of you who have never even seen the Egypt story arc in the manga... everything just kinda fell apart after reading some of the scanlations to Ancient Egypt... T_T

And I decided on no lemon! So rating is going back down to PG-13.

**Chapter 3-**

**Melting an Icy Heart**
    
    Koori no  Kokoro
    
    Tokenai My Dark Side
    
    Horo no Kokoro
    
    Kesenai My Dark Side

Heart of ice

Can't melt in my dark side

Heart of fire

Can't burn my dark side

His sleep had been restless, so Bakura felt more snappish than normal that morning. He mumbled to himself as he sat up and yawned.

It was just then that Seto came in. "You're up? Good, good..." He started gathering some clothing in a quick, nervous manner.

"Wha...?" Bakura asked in a non-intelligent voice.

"The Pharaoh and the other three priests are coming here for a meeting today. Um... can you act like you work here as a servant? Just... until they leave? Or you can take leave for the day, whichever."

He thought about it for a few moments. "I'll roam for the day." _I need to steal something anyway. My fingers are twitching to steal something. Can't break old habits, huh?_

He got up and dressed. He would leave early so that he would prove to not be a problem for Seto and his company. It's not that they knew what the infamous tomb robber that had stolen many a sacred item, or else Seto probably would have turned him in. But better be safe than sorry.

As he was getting out the door, a tug on his skirt stopped him. Mokuba looked up at him. "Could you possibly get some stuff for us if you're going out? I need to help Seto with the preparations."

Bakura would have turned him down, but... "Sure, why not?"

"Thanks!" Mokuba named what they needed and gave him a few things to barter for it.

Bakura left the house and went off into the market place.

It was the farming season, when the Nile was pretty low on its shore. It was the time of the year when Bakura would usually be stealing stuff, while during the inundation- the season when the Nile flooded and provided fertile silt to the banks- he would be skipping out on working on building the pyramids and planning what to steal when they were done.

This was life as he knew it, but now he was going into the marketplace not to rip something off, but for legitimate business. It was funny how so suddenly things could change.

His Ring shown brightly as he walked under the hot sun, hood cloaking his white hair.

Since Egypt had no currency in ancient times, Bakura used some of the things Mokuba had provided him to bargain for various types of food and items.

"I'll trade you for the ring." One old merchant said, pointing at it.

"I don't think so!" Bakura answered a little coarsely.

"Ah, so it was given to you by someone special?" He asked, grinning in a grandfatherly way. "Why didn't you say so? I would never ask you to part with an item that held such place in your heart."

"The person who gave me this means nothing." Bakura sniffed indignantly, turning his head to the side.

A gentle smile fell on the old man's face. "Sure."

Bakura got what he needed from the man and walked off at a quick pace. "Humph. Old fool... sees what isn't there. If only I wasn't here on an errand... I'll rip him off first after all this is said and done!"

He wandered around a little more, looking at trinkets and other various things. After a few more stops, he had everything that Mokuba had assigned him to get.

"Hm, I probably should get these ho- back to the high priest's home." He corrected himself quickly. That home wasn't his; it was merely his current place of residence.

"Ne, Bakura!" A voice yelled.

Bakura muttered derogatory words under his breath as Malik ran up.

"Didn't I just see you yesterday?"

"Yeah, so?" Malik asked in a confused way before his smirk came up again. "I just got news from the inside that the pharaoh is planning something. There's no news on what, but that can easily be changed..." His voice became suggestive.

"What do you want me to do, Malik?" Bakura asked.

"Well, since you're living with the priest, can't you get him to tell you secrets? You can find out what it is the pharaoh is trying to do... or maybe Set has put some sort of illness on him to make him die early, without an heir! We could easily loot his tomb with you on the inside like this!"

"How the hell do you expect me to do all of this?"

Malik's grin widened. "Remember what I said yesterday?"

Bakura glared before swinging his fist into Malik's cheek. "Don't you dare say that! I am not some whore for the man, and don't plan on becoming one!"

Malik held his cheek. "Then why are you still there."

Bakura stopped. "I... I don't know." _Why am I still there?_

The blond smiled, but in a different light. He thought he may know what was happening, but refrained from opening his mouth, lest he get punched again.

"Well, I have to get back, seeing as these are Seto and Mokuba's. Goodbye Malik." He turned and walked off, not seeing Malik's evil smirk return.

"I know something he doesn't..." Malik said in a sort of low, singsong happy voice. "I know something you don't know."

Indeed, Bakura probably didn't know it, or at least he hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. What was it that made his heart start beating whenever seeing the priest Seto. What was it that made him stay in that home?

"Ok," he started talking to himself, "those people are probably over as of now for that meeting. I'll just hurry into the kitchen or something and hide out until they leave. If nothing else... I work there. As a servant." He growled at this thought.

Walking through the front, he ducked out of sight very quickly, hearing voices talking in rapid Egyptian.

"Pharaoh!" Seto's voice came. "The Sennen Items are reacting to something that's happening... but no one is sure of what."

"Yes, it's as if something will happen... my Tauk shows of destruction." A female voice came up.

"Seto, what ever became of Mahaado's Sennen Ring?" An old man's voice asked.

Bakura looked down at his Ring now, touching it slowly. Mahaado... a priest that had died, right? He sighed and gathered up his courage suddenly. With his head held high, he came into the room in which they sat around a table.

There was the pharaoh with the Puzzle, a woman with black hair and the Tauk, an old man with a beard and the Eye, a young man with a mostly shaved head except for one lock of hair and the Ankh, another young- though slightly older- man with black hair with the Scales, and Seto with his Rod. And then there was Bakura with his head of pure white hair and his Ring.

Eyes snapped in his direction- the pharaoh, four of the priests, and then finally...

Seto.

"So, that answers the question." The pharaoh nodded towards Bakura. "A new acquisition of yours, Seto?"

Seto nodded slowly, unsurely, beckoning for Bakura to come over. He did, and Seto took his wrist and put his hand on his own shoulder. He nodded, hair rubbing Bakura's arm in a way that made his stomach feel funny. It was as if they were lovers, no longer secret... and yet they weren't.

"I see..." Pharaoh Yami nodded. "He is your... _personal_ slave?"

"He isn't... he is not a slave." Seto said slowly.

"A servant, then?"

Seto did not answer, but Bakura took the opportunity to nod furiously.

Yami smirked. "Humph. I hope you chose the next bearer of the Sennen Ring well." But you could see that in his eyes he was hurt with the passing of one of his closest friends.

"But pharaoh," Seto continued, "Mahaado's kah... you say that it became a monster on a tablet?"

"Yes, Seto." Yami nodded slowly, sadly. "He became... yes, his soul was incarnated into a dueling monster. My closest one, one I will cherish forever."

Seto's eyes narrowed. It was no secret that he was searching for a kah strong enough to become the ultimate monster, the white dragon from his dreams...

"Seto." The old man with the Eye reprimanded.

"Yes..." Seto lowered his eyes, still narrowed, but in a different way, "Father." His gaze went to the Rod at his side and then to the pale hand still on his shoulder. "Bakura, you can go now. Tell Mokuba that you're back."

Bakura nodded, leaving the room. So that was Seto's father? The priest that bore the Sennen Eye? There was no semblance between them whatsoever.

Bakura smiled lightly. "So, this Ring belonged to some priest that is now dead? Hm." He went off to find Mokuba.

Over the next month, Seto became absorbed in his newest project- finding a person with a powerful kah to sacrifice to become a monster.

Seto and the priest of the Sennen Ankh, Shadii, were walking through town, trying to find the said person with the kah.

There was shouting as a cloaked figure fell to the ground, revealing a girl with long, white hair and blue eyes. The masses threw rotting food and trash at her, saying that she was s devil of bad omen for looking different. Her pale skin was bruised.

Seto stopped it, bringing her to his home as he had done with Bakura, but this time with a look of triumph in his eyes.

As an overview, this girl was the one with the dragon's kah. Seto sacrificed her before a tablet with the dragon on it, crying as he did so. He had now split the blood of an innocent for his own purposes.

Bakura watched him walk into his home that night, stoic in emotion for what he had done. Seto didn't understand; he should be happy that now he had the ultimate monster at his disposal, but it was empty...

"Seto..." Bakura muttered, blinking away tears.

The ex-thief stilled remained in the priest's household, now under the excuse of Seto's that he needed to be protected because he was a bearer of a Sennen Item. It was logical, but Bakura took it to meaning that maybe he had a place in this household now, maybe that...

No, he shouldn't be so hopeful as to wish for that.

Another week passed and the period of the inundation was not too long away, when the waters rose. Bakura noticed something else troubling Seto now, not just the murder of that girl. He followed him outside that night as he went to walk.

"Seto!" Bakura called. "What is troubling you this time? Is it still that girl?"

"No, it's nothing." He answered.

"Seto, I can tell something happened- you're not acting like yourself. Tell me."

Seto's eyes softened a tad. "The pharaoh and other priests are dead. I have been chosen to commit ceremonial suicide and guard the items with my soul."

"Seto, why...? Why must you accept this?" He asked, voice quivering.

"Because." They High Priest in front of him answered in a calm, unwavering voice. "The Pharaoh and the four other priests are sealed away with the Sennen Items and the monsters. It is my duty."

"I don't care!" The other boy yelled, bursting out with emotions suddenly. "Just because of your rank. The Pharaoh is dead; you don't need to listen to his orders anymore!"

"But it is my duty-"

"I just don't care anymore. I never cared about your rank, because I..." He turned his head away in frustration. Letting a couple of tears only dot his eyes, he turned his back from the priest and kept his head lowered, tears threatening now to spill over.

"Bakura." Seto said in a calm voice. "I will be buried with the Sennen Items. The Pharaoh is gone, so I must be the one to protect them. The world's fate depends on me." With that, he turned and left, holding his Sennen Rod in hand and clenching it with a deadly grip.

"Seto..." Bakura whispered after the priest had left. "I don't want to you to die." _Why can't you just give up your position? I realize I'm not one to understand the laws and everything, but you never let laws stop you before. Laws forbid us to even be friends. Just disobey them once more. I never got to tell you everything about me. I never got to tell that that-_

"I love you." Those words resounded around his ears. _I love you, he who is doomed to die. I love you, fallen angel. I love you, Seto._

Feeling just like nothing else mattered anymore, Bakura rushed after him suddenly. "Seto!"

"I already told you, Bakura." Seto started with his back still to the white-haired boy. "I, as the High priest, was chosen to he the guardian of the Sennen Items. Tomorrow, I will die and be buried with them, and nothing you can do will stop this." The priest stopped ranting, looking back at the sad eyes. "Bakura?"

"Seto." Bakura stood up straight and looked him in the eyes. "I don't care what you may say after I tell you this. I don't care what you may think, but I need to get this out. Seto, I love you." There was barely any pause. "I am in love with you and nothing you say or do will change that. I don't want you to leave me because I finally found you, the one person I ever really cared for. I love you! I love you, I love you, I love you!" He felt short of breath after this, flushing crimson upon his pale cheeks. He took this opportunity to bury his eyes in Seto's shoulder. "Don't leave Mokuba and me alone."

"Bakura..." Seto took him in his arms. "Please take care of Mokuba for me when I'm gone. I trust him in your care."

"Seto..." Bakura's eyes watered further, letting a couple of tears fall. "Give me tonight to try to give you a reason to stay. I don't care if it would only lead to future pain, give me tonight at least." He lifted his lips up Seto's neck, searching for his own lips.

"B-Bakura..." Seto sighed as he was enveloped into a desperate, but loving kiss.

The next chapter is probably the last... this is really messing up in my own mind cause I learned all that happened in Egypt, and blah... T_T

I know, I am disappointing all of you, but I dunno... I've become rather apathetic when it comes to all of this, all my writing in general. And my schoolwork, if I ever did well in that... but I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.


	4. Blue Eyes

**Doragon no Kokoro**

This is the last chapter. Gomen nasai, but this is it. I know, you all hate me for it being so short, but gomen ne! I'll try to make it worth it.

**Chapter 4-**

**Blue Eyes**

sono aoi hitomi

utsukushii orokasa

anata no nani mo kamo kiseki da to shinjita

Those blue eyes.

Beautiful foolishness

I believed everything about you was a miracle.

When Bakura awoke the next morning with a smile on his face, he felt as if nothing could stop him in the world. "Seto must already be awake." He sighed softly, looking at the tousled blankets next to him.

He got up and put on his clothes, and finally, his Ring. He slipped it on and moved his sore muscles tenderly. With a small smile on his face, he walked out of the bedroom, only to be met by a sobbing Mokuba.

"Mokuba?" Bakura dropped the smile. "What's wrong?"

"Seto..." Mokuba cried. "Seto went off to do the ceremonial suicide."

"What?" His brown eyes widened.

"Why did he have to?" The young boy fell into Bakura's arms, still violently shaking. "Why did Seto have to leave us?"

"I... I don't know, Mokuba."

Eventually, Bakura laid the sleeping Mokuba down in his bed and went back into Seto's bedroom. He saw a note there. The hieratic read,

Bakura, please take care of Mokuba for me. It is my destiny to do this, and yours to continue living. Also, I place it into your hands to place the Sennen Items in the tomb in which I, and they, are to be buried. Please do this, Bakura. I love you, and may Ra will us to meet again.

                                    -Seto

Bakura threw the note back down, more tears that he thought he had finished off now coming down his face.

"Your fate to die, mine to live, huh?" He asked no one. He quickly scrawled out a note and placed it in his pocket. He picked up his dagger that he had used during his time as a thief and started off.

Passing past people and animals on the way to the banks of the Nile, the white-haired thief mused to himself on life. He jeered at Destiny for what he was about to do- she wouldn't have her way with him, he would cheat her and be with... him.

He stood, water just touching the tips of his toes. A procession of boats was heading out to the west side of the river- the side where the dead lay. He felt his heart tug at him, suddenly.

"Seto..." The whisper fell on no ears as eyes hardened suddenly. He pulled out the note and his dagger; it glinted in the uncovered sun. "You said that these seven Sennen Items had so much power, even power to resurrect someone from the dead. There is no way for me to do that now, but maybe in the next life... I will find you again." With that last declaration, he plunged the knife into his chest, falling to the sand with a thud. His last sight was the crimson liquid running down his fingertips as a smile fell across his lips. _I promise I'll be with you again, Seto. I will be beside you, someday._

It just so happened that at this time, Malik was taking a stroll down the Nile. He saw the figure lying there, and recognized the white hair immediately. "Bakura!" He yelled, running to his fallen friend.

"Bakura..." There was no pulse, for the white-haired young man was dead, off to join his lover in the afterlife.

Malik hugged his body close. "Hm?" He asked, seeing the note fall from his hand. "Malik, I wrote this note to you since I know you will be the first to find me after I kill myself. I had no reason to live after finding that my love was gone, and so I decided to take my own life. Go to Seto's home and find Mokuba. Show him this note and the Ring on my neck. I want you to watch over him, as I couldn't. Tell him I'm sorry. But now I am off to see Seto again, and to cheat Destiny. Goodbye, friend. PS: Please give the Ring to the priests at the temple."

The blond took a look at the body in his arms, tears spilling over the brims of his eyes. "You idiot! How could you? You fucking bastard, just because he left you, you killed yourself to?"

He picked up Bakura's body and carried it to Seto's home.

"Bakura!" Mokuba ran up. "What did you do to him, bastard?!"

"You must be Mokuba... Bakura told me to show you this." He handed Mokuba the paper. As the boy read, his face grew even more swallowed in salty tears.

"Come on," Malik unfastened the Ring after laying Bakura's body on a bed, "we have to deliver this."

Mokuba nodded and followed.

_Two lovers dead after one night of love and a promise made so that they would see each other again._

"Malik! I found something!" Bakura yelled, wiping sweat off of his forehead.

"What is it? An underground tomb?" He asked, dragging along a wooden ladder.

Bakura affirmed this with a nod, using his shovel to bust in through the top. He watched sand start to fall through.

"How did you find it?" Malik asked.

"I don't know..." Bakura shook his head. It had been as his he was drawn there, but he wasn't about to tell him that. "Does the ladder reach the bottom?"

Malik hoisted it down slowly. "Yes, it does." He climbed onto it. "Got the torch?"

"Yeah." Bakura produced the torch and some flint. In a few minutes, he had a fire going. "Malik, go down first so I can hand you to torch."

They did so, and soon they were both in a tomb that was fairly recent when it came to how long tombs last to out modern day.

Bakura took off his hood, letting it fall to the ground.

"Look at these." Malik pointed to seven golden items that were inside the cover of a giant sarcophagus. Bakura reach up to touch the Ring, and images flashed before his eyes. A young man with brown hair but no distinguishable face. A passionate feeling. Bodies so closely entwined together in love. Blue eyes... blue eyes.

Sweat beaded up on his forehead as he jerked his fingers away.

"This tomb doesn't seem too old, maybe one of the recent pharaohs?"

"Yeah." Bakura nodded. He reached out to touch it again.

_"I promise I'll be with you again, Seto. I will be beside you, someday."_

"S... Seto..." Bakura's eyes fell shut suddenly. _Collect the Sennen Items... Seto will return..._

"Bakura?" Malik whirled around to face his friend. "Bakura? Bakura!"

Malik didn't know what to tell himself; it was as if his soul had just left suddenly out of his body. It had something to do with the Ring that he was touching right before it happened. He backed away slowly before dropping the torch and scrambling up the ladder once again.

Years later, he still didn't know what to tell himself.

A ghost of a young man appeared at that time, but it was not the ghost of the high priest Seto or of the tomb robber, Bakura. He looked down at the still, lifeless body before him.

"This man... he was the one who gave Seto doubts back then. His bah will forever live in this Ring now, and his kah will be reincarnated later. May Ra will those two, the priest and the thief, to find each other once again in future times.

"Until then, my descendants will guard this tomb." He waved a hand and the hole in the ceiling magically disappeared. "And now history can see what it is that resides in a dragon's heart."

Doragon no Kokoro translates to: Dragon's heart.

Kami-sama, I cannot believe this was so short. But, I dunno, I guess I just really wanted to wrap it up and work on my other projects. Ya know how that is...

I love all of you reviewers, and I thank you for reading this.

No, I am not dying, thank you very much.

How to properly address you people? You wonderful people that really did motivate me to keep going. I thank you all and would give you all big hugs if I could. **tries anyway**

And no, I'm still not dying.

Well, I guess this is ja for now, minna-chan! -_^

And wouldn't you like to know who the ghost is?


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